It's Not Accidental
by theresa2214
Summary: Derek and Casey meet in the professional world after 8 years apart. What happened that made them stop speaking? How will they handle being together? Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

_Finally_. Casey thought as she put the finishing touches on her desk. _My very own desk. _She made it. She was 28 and finally, she had landed her dream job, writing for her favorite dance magazine, _Leap_. Here she could combine her two passions, the written word and dance. After realizing that pursuing a legitimate career in dance wasn't entirely realistic, Casey decided this was the next best thing. And if she was perfectly honest with herself, it was better.

_Leap_'s office was located in Manhattan, a bit of a drive from where she had grown up, but to be honest that was another aspect of it's appeal. The less she saw of her family and so-called friends, the better. Casey still talked to her mom and Lizzie from time to time, but other than that she was completely on her own. No expectations to be a certain way or obligations to tie her down. She now possessed that independence she had always craved for.

"MacDonald!" Her boss called. Casey looked up. "First assignment's in. Some girl at NYU is a freaking swan and I need you to get an up close and personal interview." Elijah Mond didn't even bother to look at her as he dropped the files on Casey's desk. His brown hair stuck up at odd angles and his thick framed glasses made it hard to see exactly what color eyes he had.

"I'm on it." Casey smiled. Her first legitimate assignment. Finally. She picked up the files about Laurel Ritch. The only photo they had of her was a head shot, but if her face was any indication of her dancing, then she truly was a swan. Her neck was long and slender and her bright green eyes popped against her white blonde hair.

"Oh, and you're going to be working with some hot, young hunk of a photographer we just got in from Canada. Hope you play well with others." He winked, "Venturi! Let's go! We don't have all day."

Casey's breath caught. No. Fucking. Way.

Derek rounded the corner, looking more smug than ever. He'd transformed from jock to artist quite nicely. His jeans were more fitted and he had traded hockey jerseys for plaid button downs, but still wore his old leather jacket. Confidence radiated off of him, he walked with ease, a bit of Derek swagger with every step.

"Venturi, this is..."

"Casey?!" Derek had stopped dead in his tracks, his arrogance gone replaced with complete and utter shock.

Casey stood up and smoothed her skirt. She made a quick decision to be as professional as possible. "Hello, Derek."

"Okay, look Eli this is NOT going to work. I cannot work with Space Case." Derek protested.

"Oh, and I'm SO looking forward to spending my days working with a jerk like you."

"Quiet please, Klutzilla. The grown ups are talking."

"Don't act all condescending Mr. I Failed the First Grade."

So much for professionalism.

"How the hell do you know each other?" Eli looked genuinely caught off guard.

Casey looked at Derek. What was he to her? Step-brother? Friend? Arch Enemy? Love of her life? The man she hated with such a passion that she hadn't spoken to him in 8 years?

"Let's just say our family's are really close." Derek answered.

Casey laughed, crossing her arms, "That's one way to describe it."

"And how would you put it, Princess?" Derek was now leaning on her desk, looking straight at her for the first time.

"You have no right to be here." Her voice was low, threatening almost.

"To be where? At _Leap_? Of course I have a right. I'm a sports photographer, it's my job."

"Since when do you consider dance a real sport? And since when do you have the drive to do anything other than women?!"

"Nice, way to be professional, Space Case. At least I didn't leave everything the moment one little thing in my life went wrong!"

"Hey!" Eli barked. "I have no idea what the hell is going on with this whole dynamic," He pointed between the two of them, "but I do know that I like your writing and your photos. So, you will work together and you will give me the best article this magazine has ever seen. Get to work."


	2. Chapter 2

So, this is my first story in quite some time. Please review and give me constructive criticism. I'm always looking to improve my writing to give y'all better stories!

Disclaimer: If I owned LWD, I wouldn't be writing about it.

* * *

Once Eli was gone, the situation got awkward. Like, "This is the first time I've seen you in 8 years" awkward. Casey nervously smoothed her skirt again, cleared her throat and excused herself to the bathroom. She walked all calm and collected like while Derek could still see her, but as soon as she rounded the corner, she ran as fast as her 4 inch heels would let her.

Bursting through the bathroom doors, Casey ran her hand through her hair and began to pace. Thoughts swirled through her head, but they were going so fast all she saw was Derek's face. The way he looked at her, it was so...familiar. It was like high school and the first years of college all over again.

She stopped pacing and stood with her hands on the counter. God, why is he here? Raising her eyes, Casey looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a bit messed up, but her cream colored blouse and blue pencil skirt were still perfectly in place. _Well, at least I look damn good_. Combing her hair back down, Casey took a deep breath and stood up tall. _Okay, Casey, this is your first professional challenge. You can do this. Just don't think about the fact that it's Derek, as far as you know, he's just some photographer you have to work with for a couple of weeks max. Don't think about what happened, just get through this assignment_. Flashing her winning smile at herself, Casey walked out confidently, ready to face the present.

* * *

_So, this is where she's been all these years_. Derek slumped against Casey's desk, still processing the situation he was in. He thought back to the last time he had seen her, on a rainy night back at their old house. She wouldn't even look at him then as she carried her bags down the stairs.

"What are you doing?" He asked. He knew he'd hurt her, more than any other member of their family, but was it that bad that she had to leave? Where was she even going to go?

Still, she wouldn't look at him. She just silently stood by the window, waiting for the cab that would inevitably come get her. "Casey..." His voice was soft and broken, wanting a better explanation than the one she had to give. He walked over and turned her so she would face him. Resting his forehead against hers he asked, "Why are you leaving?"

"Don't..." She pulled away, blinking back tears. Her cab pulled up and she grabbed her bags. Derek followed her out in the rain, determined to get answers. This just didn't make sense.

"What do you think you're going to prove by doing this, Case?" She shut the trunk of the cab and stood staring at the ground with her arms crossed. His voice was rising, trying to be heard above the rain. "Is this because of me? Cause I would love to know exactly what I did to royally screw this up..."

"The world doesn't revolve around you, Derek Venturi!"

"Then what, Casey?" He truly wanted to understand what was going on in her mind, "What could possibly get under your skin enough to make you decide to leave everything?"

"I'm just done with all of this, Der. There's nothing for me here! I want more, so that's what I'm going after and I...I don't owe you this explanation, I don't owe you anything." With that she opened the door and slid into the cab.

"Just, at least tell me where you're gonna go." Derek caught the door, and Casey looked at him with her blue eyes, pleading to let her go. He relaxed his grip for just a moment and she shut the door as fast as she could. His hands still rested on the top part of the car, and he looked at her through the window. She turned her head, telling the cabbie where to go. The car started to pull away. Realizing what this meant, Derek slammed his hands on the cab and turned away, growling with frustration. "Casey..." He ran his hand through his hair and stared after the cab.

Derek stood up from Casey's desk, wondering for the millionth time if she had looked back and saw the broken mess she'd left in the rain that night. He sighed and decided it would be best to leave her be for now. Walking out of the office, he smirked slightly. He'd found her, and for now that was all that mattered.


	3. Chapter 3

As Derek walked down the streets of Manhattan, he pulled out his phone calling his old hockey buddy, Mark. Derek and Mark played together in college, after which Derek decided his career was over and Mark moved on to play for the New York Rangers. Because of away games, Derek knew Mark's apartment would be vacant much of the time, so before he moved here he set up arrangements with him to stay at his place.

"Hello?"

"Mark! It's Derek."

"Derek, my man! You in town yet?"

"Yeah, got here this morning. You leave me a key?"

"Of course, dude! You know the address, key's under the mat."

"You're a life saver, man."

"I know, I know. Listen, I'm gonna be gone for two weeks or so. Don't fuck the place up too much, and make sure your women keep their paws off my stuff."

Derek laughed, "I haven't been into that life for a few years, bro. You got nothing to worry about."

"Whatever you say, my man. You know I'm finding that hard to believe cause of all the girls you got back at school."

"What can I say? I've turned over a new leaf. Trying to live a better life."

"Don't know what's better than all the bitches you can ask for, but whatever. Not my business, man. Hey, I gotta run, but you enjoy yourself and I'll see you in two weeks."

"Two weeks, got it. Thanks again, bro." Derek rolled his eyes, recalling college memories and laughing a bit at his stupidity. The first two years Derek was a saint, never once hooking up with a random chick, but when Casey left he was all over the place. Sometimes he'd get three girls in one night, fighting desperately to keep his anger and sadness at bay. He realized now that all he was looking for was some kind of deep connection with someone again, but that feeling left when she did.

Arriving at the apartment, Derek retrieved the key from under the mat and went inside. It was a nice place, typical bachelor's pad. Simplistic, but modern. He set his bag down and took off his jacket. Walking to the bathroom he striped the rest of his clothes off ready to wash away the events of the day. This was his chance to get into her head and figure everything out.

The warm water rushed over his body. It wasn't quite as rock hard as it used to be, but still toned. He found himself wondering if that would be okay with Casey, and quickly shook the thought away._ That's not happening. She's not interested, and just like Nora and George said, it's gross_. They wouldn't do that. Not again. Derek would make sure of it.

* * *

_Well, that pep-talk was for nothing_. Casey sat on her couch with a pint of Ben and Jerry's finer creations: Half-Baked. The perfect combination of cookie dough, brownie, and chocolate and vanilla ice cream. It was her go to comfort food, and right now she desperately needed comfort. When Casey had returned to her desk, Derek had disappeared, leaving her to imagine all sorts of different scenarios of what he was doing and how the next few weeks were going to play out.

The memories she had repressed during the day were finally surfacing in the quiet of her apartment, and she didn't like it one bit. When she had first left half-way through college when she was 20 years old, Casey spent a lot of time thinking of what she had left behind, particularly of someone she left. Out in the rain. All alone. She had felt a little bit more than guilty, but she suppressed that guilt over the last few years. It was all resurfacing.

_No! You don't feel guilty. He didn't want you to stay. Well, he wanted you to stay, but for an entirely different reason than why you wanted him to want you to stay. _Casey put her ice cream down, buried her face in a pillow and screamed. This was too crazy, too coincidental. How is he here? Everything was going so well, she had landed a great job and had finally, FINALLY moved on from him.

"Hey, babe. Your first day was that great, huh?" Wilson, her fiancee, bent down and kissed her head. Casey turned her head to look at him. Shit. How is she going to explain all of the emotional turmoil going through her? It's not like she can just say, "Oh, yeah the guy who I posses strong feelings for works there, too. And you know how I'm from Canada and never talk about a single soul from there? Well, he's a major reason why I left and now I have to fight the urge to kill him and jump his bones every time I see him."

Somehow, she didn't think that would go over too well.

So, she opted to just tell Wilson that her first assignment seemed challenging. It wasn't necessarily a lie, but it was definitely the understatement of the century.

"You'll be fine, Casey. I know you better than anyone, and I know you can handle anything life throws at you. You're the strongest woman I know." He took her face in his hands and kissed her. She kissed back, inwardly knowing that he was wrong. She couldn't handle everything, some things she knew couldn't be handled. They had to be left.

* * *

Plot twists! :D Casey has a fiancee and Derek doesn't want anything to happen! And what about the whole George and Nora thinking it was gross? Wonder what happens next... :]

I know I'm writing a lot right now, but I'm sort of on a writing high. I'm not sure if I'll keep it up, but I'll do my best! Please review. :]


	4. Chapter 4

"Der-ek! You are such a jerk!"

"You love it, Princess, don't lie to yourself." Derek was sprawled out on his bed, he barely looked up from his laptop as Casey stormed in, clearly pissed off.

"Oh, I most certainly do NOT love the fact that my roommate is bawling her eyes out because you wouldn't call her back! You are so heartless!"

"Heartless? You really feel that way? After all we've been through, Space Case?" The sarcasm practically dripped off his words.

"UGH! You are infuriating!"

"How? I told her I wasn't looking for anything serious, just a casual fling! Is it my fault that she went and got all emotional on me? No, it's not." He got up off the bed, frustrated that this conversation was even happening.

"I swear, sometimes I wonder if you even possess the natural inclination to feel any sort of emotion!"

Derek's brow furrowed in confusion, "Huh, didn't know professional hockey players needed that."

"One day, Venturi, you're going to meet some girl and you're going to want her. You'll want her bad, but she's just going to up and leave. Never forget that karma's a bitch."

"Casey, Casey, Casey, when will you learn that karma can't touch me? I get what I want. Always." Derek moved in dangerously close to her. Her eyes shifted, nervously looking up at him.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting what I want." His lips crashed onto hers as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Her body gave into the feeling, she was completely absorbed in the kiss.

"Casey..." Someone was trying to get her attention, trying to pull her away from Derek.

"Mmmph" She shrugged the person off, not wanting to leave

"Casey!" Wilson shook her shoulder and Casey bolted up in bed. Searching for Derek, it took her a minute to realize he wasn't there...it was only a dream. "You okay? You were sort of shouting in your sleep."

Her eyes widened, "Oh, God. What did I say?"

Wilson chuckled, "All I know is I wouldn't want to be whoever Derek is. You sounded like you were going to chop his head off."

"Oh, hah, that." Casey laughed nervously, "He's the guy I met at work today, we didn't get along too well. I guess I'm just nervous for tomorrow."

"You'll be fine, sweetheart." He kissed her cheek, "Go back to bed. You need your sleep." Casey smiled at him, but her face morphed to complete confusion as she turned away. She hadn't dreamt of their first kiss since she'd met Wilson. _This can't be good_. She fell back into a restless sleep, always seeing Derek, but never quite being able to reach him.

* * *

Just a short one for now. Review, my friends! I love knowing that people want to find out what happens :]

Also, if there's any direction or theories you have on what should or what you think will happen let me know. I may draw from that for inspiration :D


	5. Chapter 5

Derek walked into the _Leap_ office the next morning with coffee in hand. Turns out sleep doesn't come easy when one is having an internal battle concerning the morality of having feelings for one's step-sister. He had tossed and turned all night, dreaming of Casey when he did sleep and wondering what the next day would hold while awake.

Casey was already sitting at her desk, hair pulled back in a formal ponytail. She still had her girly, princess style, but more sophisticated. Her floral shirt was covered by a grey cardigan and matched with a mint green skirt, tied all together with nude pumps. She peered through her glasses at what Derek assumed was Laurel Ritch's file. _Glasses? That's new_. The last Derek knew, she had 20/20 vision. He was aware a lot would have changed for her, but it was weird to think that she'd gone through simple things, like getting glasses, without the family. Without him.

Derek vowed to himself the previous night that he would be kind to Casey over the next few weeks. This had to be hard for her, and he truly did care about her, and didn't want to make her life more difficult by being the asshole that he was. As he approached her desk, she looked up for a fraction of a second.

"Oh, you're here. They set up a desk for you over there," she gestured her head towards a corner of the room, "So, I guess you can just sit there until we're ready to go out to meet Laurel."

"Right...um, you're sure there's not something I can do to help out before hand? I mean I can do all sorts of paper work..."

"Derek," she cut him off, "you are the photographer. You take pictures. And decide which ones will go best with my article. Stick with that, and don't hurt yourself."

"Right, so I'll leave Klutzilla to do all the heavy lifting? I think not."

She set her files down with a huff, "And what do you suppose I let you do? What CAN you do? Because I really don't want you screwing this up for me."

"What do you mean 'What can I do'? You know, I bet this is why you left because you can't stand it when someone tries to HELP you. God, Casey, you're such a stubborn ass!"

"An ass?! Are you serious? That's the pot calling the kettle black! You just show up here, unannounced in MY life and start acting all...all DEREK like! Just go!"

"That's your answer for everything isn't it?! Just leave and it will all be okay! If you run away from it, it doesn't exist! Well, guess what, Princess, I still exist! You left me, remember!? So, yes, I will call you an ass, and no, I won't feel the least bit guilty over it." They were inches apart, Derek looked into Casey's eyes. The electric blue buzzed with energy and emotion. She was pissed, that much was obvious, but she was also excited. She had that subtle fire that he had tried so long to find in other girls, he was high off this intensity and he could only get this from her.

Casey stared at Derek, her whole body buzzing with feeling. He was such a jerk! How dare he barge into her life, lecturing her on what she had done in the past! She could never pinpoint the exact feelings she felt when they were fighting, but they were strong and something she hadn't realized she'd missed until right now. God, it was such an intoxicating sensation, but she couldn't indulge in it. She had to stop it. She couldn't get addicted to it, to him, again.

She broke her gaze, shifting her eyes to a folder on her desk. She picked it up and shoved it at him. "Here. It's the file on Laurel's coach. Read up, we'll leave around 1."

"Whatever." He rolled is eyes and slouched over to his desk.

So much for being nice.

* * *

Derek and Casey walked down the sidewalk in silence, both unsure of what to say. They were both essentially thinking the same thing; each wanting to explain, but not finding the words or confidence to. Finally Casey had had enough of the silence.

"So, what happened to hockey? I thought you were gonna make it big."

"Well, let's just say the life wasn't too rewarding. It was hard work, don't get me wrong, but the life outside was pointless. I wanted to prove I could succeed outside that world." Derek shoved his hands in his pockets, clearly uncomfortable.

"Have you?"

"Have I what?"

"Succeeded?"

He smirked, "It depends on who you ask."

She looked at him, here blue eyes sincere, "I'm asking you."

"Then, yeah. I think I have. I've photographed almost every hockey game for the Penguins for 2 seasons. Plus done high school team pictures, little stuff like that. But it's enough to keep me alive, and I enjoy it."

"Derek, that's amazing!" Casey was genuinely excited for him. He must have worked ridiculously hard to land the Penguins gig, then done an excellent job to be asked back for a second season.

"What about you, Spacey?" He glanced down at her, obviously extremely curious.

She took a deep breath, "Well, I went to NYU my last two years of college, started the dance program there, but stopped after the first semester due to knee issues. Couldn't find a solid job in journalism for a couple years, so I did odd jobs here and there," Derek raised an eyebrow at her, smirking. Casey's eyes widened and she laughed, "Not that! I worked at the library, a local diner, and I was even a tour guide at the Statue of Liberty for a bit."

"Then you ended up at _Leap_?"

"Yeah, finally. I turned in so many applications and who would've thought that _Leap_, my dream job, was where I would end up?"

They had reached their destination and Casey reached out with her left hand to get the door. Derek couldn't help but see the rock on her ring finger. Doing a double take, his eyes widened, taking in what that meant. _She's married?_ He was pissed, beyond pissed. She didn't think of mentioning that in her little life bio? He suddenly felt the need for revenge, to show her that his love life went on when she left. As they walked in, he knew exactly how to do that.

* * *

**So much drama! How is Derek going to get back at Casey? Will he figure out she's only engaged?**

**Hope you enjoyed it and if you did REVIEW! Reviews make me smile. And write more. :] **


	6. Chapter 6

Casey felt confident walking into the studio to meet Laurel. She had just had a pleasant conversation with Derek, which made the prospect of working with him seem a bit brighter. The NYU studio looked just like any other studio, but with nice EVERYTHING. The mirror was shiny and new, the bar painted with fresh coats of paint, the wood floors shined to perfection. It was a place Casey had been familiar with back in college for a time and it was good to be back.

In the middle of everything was Laurel. She was absolutely the best dancer Casey had ever seen. Her lines and technique were perfect, but she also brought a level of passion and emotion that Casey couldn't take her eyes off of. Laurel was art while she danced. The music ended, and Casey went to say something, but Derek beat her to it.

"I can see what all the fuss is about now. You are truly amazing." He was eyeing her flirtatiously, smirking as she turned to face him with her green eyes wide.

Laurel was still catching her breath as she cocked her head to the side, "And you are...?" Casey went to answer again, reaching her arm out to shake Laurel's hand,

"I'm..."

"Derek, Derek Venturi." He reached out and took Laurel's hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it ever so gently. Laurel blushed and giggled, clearly enjoying the attention. Casey just stood there, giving Derek her best "What the FUCK?" face. He didn't see it, though; he was too busy playing Prince Charming. "I'm here to take some photos of you for _Leap_, and I must say I am looking forward to it."

_Why don't you just rip her leotard off, you perv. _Casey rolled her eyes, disgusted that he was hitting on someone almost a decade younger than he was. Laurel was eating it up, looking coyly at the ground then back up at him through her heavily made-up eyes. It was gross. Not because it disturbed her to see Derek flirt with another woman. That would just be weird, because she shouldn't care. She did NOT care who Derek flirted with or slept with, he had every right to do whom he pleased. And she just simply didn't care.

Right.

"Excuse me, Laurel?" Casey interrupted the flirt-athon between the two in order to keep the meeting on track. Laurel turned her attention away from Derek. "Hi, I'm Casey McDonald. I'm here to set up a series of interviews with you and your coach, some together and some individual. Is there somewhere we can go to get all the paperwork sorted out?"

"Right! Of course. Just give me one moment to grab my things and I'll take you to Natasha right away." She gave one last look at Derek before retreating to the ladies room.

"You! What the hell were you thinking!?" Casey whipped her head around, looking like she would kill him any minute.

"Woah, Space Case. Don't hurt yourself." Derek couldn't lie to himself, he was actually surprised she was reacting so violently. He didn't think she would care, but he liked that she did.

"This is exactly why I don't want you here! How the hell am I supposed to explain that? God, you are just so infuriating!"

"Oh, and what exactly did I do to infuriate you?" His brown eyes tested her, daring her to give the true reason. Casey took a deep breath and averted her eyes.

"It's just unprofessional, and that leads to embarrassment for _Leap_. We have a reputation to keep." She shifted her bag, still refusing to look at him. Derek reached out, about to touch her arm when Laurel came back in. He quickly put his hand back in his pocket and saw Casey's ring glint in the light. _She's not yours anymore. _And with that he turned to Laurel, ready to charm.

* * *

"Hi Natasha, I'm Casey McDonald." Casey stuck out her hand to a middle-aged woman with short red hair. Natasha peered over her nose at Casey's hand, looking at it like she didn't understand the concept of a handshake.

"Are you here to exploit my dancer?" Natasha's voice was hard and to the point. Casey was taken aback and her mind scrambled, thinking of what to say next.

"Well, no ma'am. We're here to interview Laurel for _Leap_, I'm not sure if you've heard of..."

"I know what _Leap_ is. Your boss, Eli, wants to use my best girl as publicity for his magazine, but I'm not entirely convinced that this is in Laurel's best interests. All this is going to do is distract her from the art and fill her head with all sorts of celebrity nonsense."

"Ma'am, I can assure you..." Casey began.

"Let me finish. Here's what's going to happen. You will come here everyday for the next two weeks. You get 15 minutes a day with Laurel to ask her questions pertaining to dance, and only to dance. I will be at your disposal everyday for 10 minutes, and another 10 to interview us both at the same time. Your photographer can take pictures only when I say, and it's at my discretion to say when it is and is not allowed."

"Yes, ma'am." By this point Casey had her pocket sized notebook out, writing down everything Natasha was saying.

"One more thing, you do not call me ma'am, you call me madame, do we understand each other?"

Casey looked up, eyes wide. "Um...yes, madame."

"And you." Natasha narrowed her eyes at Derek. "You distract her or cause her to be unable to dance in any way, and I will personally make sure you will never be able to find another job in this country, Canada, France, or Russia."

Derek smirked, "Is that a challenge, Madame Natasha?"

"Just leave my dancer alone, Pretty Boy." With that, she stalked out of the room, calling Laurel to go with her. Laurel glanced back at Derek mouthing, "Call me."

Once they were gone, Casey looked skeptically at Derek. "You're not seriously still contemplating going after her, are you?"

"It would have been too easy before, now it's just a bit more...challenging." His dark eyes looked once over her body, "You know how much I like a challenge, Princess."

* * *

**Sorry it took so long to update. School gets in the way of my life. **

**Anyways, tell me what you thought. REVIEW. :] **


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